Bebot by Normalware
iPhone music apps have been around for well over a year - they're highly popular. And Bebot by Normalware is gonna be one of those at the top of the list.
Bebot offers far more fun than you could reasonably expect for £1.19. A synthesiser that you control with your finger - you play the notes you want by touching the screen and, by scrolling across the screen you manipulate the pitch, volume or filter cutoff parameters of the synth. Settings include the options to change the waveform of the synth from sine to PWM or sawtooth, plus there are overdrive, chorus and delay (echo) effects settings too. These features enable you to spice up your sound, morphing from theremin sound clips to deep dark bass as easy as the flick of a finger. Plus, you can change these settings in real time, adding an extra performance dimension to your playing.
With this versatility, Bebot is ideal for use onstage. You can plug your iPhone or iPod Touch into the mixing desk and throw in some amazing Star Wars sound effects at the slide of a finger; add sweeps and bleeps like child's play, and, with the built in echo, get an instant sci-fi flavour that could work wonders on the dance floor.
We forgot to mention the robot! All the time you're bleeping around there's a robot dressed in a dinner jacket onscreen singing the sounds at you. This isn't much more than a gimmick, but it is charming and certainly raises a smile the first few times you launch Bebot. So, in terms of sheer musical fun, Bebot is our favourite iPod Touch/iPhone music app so far, and comes highly recommended.
Written by: Steve Hillier
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